Cleaning and polishing block



Feb. 15, 193s.

J. J. KENNEDY CLJEIAIJINGr AND POLISHING BLOCK Filed Aug. 17, 1935 Inventor Q 70km fi'nnecgy A Home};

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES CLEANING AND POLISHING BLOCK John J. Kennedy, LosAngeles, cane, assignor to Chamberlain 00., Inc., Los Angeles. Caiii'., a corporation Application August 1'], 1935, Serial No. 36,724

5 Claims.

My invention relates generally to means i'or cleaning and imparting a polish to surfaces, and particularly to means for cleaning and polishing hot surfaces which have grease or cooking oil 5 thereon, such as cookinggriddles, grills, hotplates, stoves, frying pans, and other cooking surfaces and utensils, and an important object of my invention is to provide means of the character indicated and amethod of forming the same.

Another important object of my invention is to provide means of the character indicated to take the place of means of this general character presently available and used for the purpose indicated, such as blocks of natural pumice, common brick, emery cloth, and sandpaper, and to provide such means in quantity and with greater uniformity, and at less expense. Another important object of my invention is to 'provide means and method whereby polishing and cleaning means of the character indicated may be efficiently and relatively inexpensively produced, and in a form and condition which is characterized by longer life and superior action, com pared with such materials as natural blocksof pumice, common brick, emery cloth, and sandpaper, now available.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following description in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a,

preferred embodiment of my invention.

'In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a block formed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view therethrough, showing the texture thereof and the distribution of the forming elements.

Although the invention is especially directed to the cleaning and polishing of surfaces of the character indicated while hot and for the purpose of removing grease and cooking oil, as well as carbon, soot, grease and other accumulated dirt, commonly found on such surfaces after use, the means described herein is also effective for cleaning tile, marble, terazzo and other surfaces as well as wood, when the surface tobe cleaned and polished is first moistened with water.

The present invention contemplates a block which because of its porous, crystalline constitution absorbs the dirt and grease described, and which, because of its porous and crystalline nature, does not become caked with the dirt and grease, a condition which would destroy its cleaning properties in a manner to require frequent resurfacing or refacing of the cleaning surface, of the block; whereas other means now used such as pumice in blocks formed of powdered and bolted pumice, common brick, emery cloth, and sandpaper, have cleaning surfaces which are too dense and aie insumciently porous and absorptive, and have a tendency to glaze quickly and become useless for the purpose.

serious objections accompany the production and use of blocks of natural pumice. It is well recognized that it is a diflicult and expensive operation to procure and produce a suitable block of natural pumice, first because strata of suitable pumice are very rare, and frequently, strata otherwise considered suitable in texture and coherence, afiord blocks'which are too hard and abrasive in texture to serve efficiently for the purposes contemplated herein. Production of artificial pumice blocks has heretofore been attempted, but in all of these attempts, in my opinion, the binder used andthe general structure of the blocks produced was such as to produce a greater abrasive effect, greater deterioration, and greater loss through quick wear, than is consistent with efflciency and economy.

The block of the present invention, although approximating in texture a natural block of the desired texture of natural pumice, will wear more' than twice as long as any natural block of pumice of the same size and equivalent texture, when usedfor the purposes contemplated herein.

Moreover, the blocks of the present invention are all uniform as to texture, size, and weight, whereas such uniform blocks of natural pumice cannot be made available in quantity.

The production of natural blocks of pumice has been attended by the necessity to recognize the utility of limiting the shape and size of the blocks, since a square or rectangular block is the only shape which will have consistently suflieient structural strength; whereas the block of the present invention may be made in almost any convenient shape and size, and the shape and size maintained strictly with regard to absolute uniformity of density and texture, besides.

Another advantage inherent in the present in-, vention is that the same can be made with greatest advantage from such pumice as is presently considered waste in the production of natural pumice blocks; whereas the production of blocks of natural pumice requires extensive selectivity. and tedious and expensive production methods from expensive material found only in scarce deposits.

Where attempts have been made to produce polishing and cleaning blocks of pumice material from ground or powdered or bolted pumice. it

' has been found that the powdering and bolting robs the pumice of its crystalline and porous qualities, disabling the resultant block from properly absorbing the grease and other dirt, and causing the working surface to become quickly glazed. As already pointed out, said composition blocks are usually too abrasive and are too heavy and too dense. In other words, it has been definitely established that blocks made of powdered or bolted pumice are inadequate for the purposes contemplated herein.

The following ingredients in the state described, make up a suitable embodiment'of the present invention:-

50 pounds of coarse aggregate pumice consist ing of pieces ranging in size from onequarter of an inch to one and one-half inches in diameter;

40 pounds of pumice, fine enough to pass through a No. 40 mesh screen;

10 pounds of standard magnes'lte;

24 quarts of magnesium chloride solution of 18 degrees Baum, formed by dissolving magnesium chloride flakes in water until the solution has a density of 18 degrees Baum.

It is to be noted that it is possible to obtain a good block by the use of other bonding agents such as oxy-phos'phate cement, the prime requisite in the bonding agent being that it shall not exceed in hardness the coarse aggregate pumice. and should be, preferably, softer than the coarse aggregate pumice utilized in producing a block in accordance with the present invention.

As heretofore pointed out, one of the prime requisites of a block to fulfil the purpose of the present invention is the possession of a working surface of a porous texture which is capable of absorbing large quantities of grease and dirt and the like, and that this porous absorbent crystalline texture cannot be obtained by simply bonding powdered pumice. A block formed of powdered pumice weighs approximately twice as much as a product of the present invention, and would not absorb grease and dirt and carbon to a degree nearly approximating the absorbing and cleaning characteristics of a block formed in accordance with the present invention, in addition to being in most instances, too abrasive, besides having a relatively short life.

The present invention produces a block which closely approximates the texture of a block of pure pumice in its natural state. and has the lightness in weight, the porosity, and the capability of absorbing large amounts of grease and carbon possessed by a natural block of pumice. The block of the present invention is not intended to abrade the surface worked upon so as to scratch the same, but is intended and does clean and polish the surfaces mentioned without injuring or scratching them, and it is asserted that the present invention is a polishing and cleaning agent but not a cutting or abrading agent. It is to be observed that the present invention contains no corrodible agency.

Although I have shown and described herein and exemplified the product and process aspects of the invention it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials, and in the method of assembling the same, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subioined claims.

What is claimed is:--

1. A cleaning and polishing block having the appearance and characteristics of a natural block pumice, and being lighter in weight and having grease and dirt absorbing characteristics superior to a similar block formed of powdered bolted pumice, said block comprising the resultant of a mixing of a dry mixture containing coarse pumice pieces, flne pumice and magnesite; and a magnesium chloride aqueous solution.

2. A block of the character described containing coarse natural pumice pieces, fine pumice, and oxyphosphate cement.

3. A cleaning and polishing block of the character described, said block comprising the moulded resultant of a mixture of substantially 50 pounds of coarse aggregate pumice pieces, 40 pounds of fine pumice, 10 pounds of magnesite, and 24 quarts of aqueous magnesium chloride solution.

4. A. block of the character described, said blockcontaining coarse aggregate pumice, fine natural pumice, magnesite, and magnesium oxychloride cement.

5. A block of the character described, said block containing coarse aggregate pumice, fine natural pumice, magnesite, and one of a group comprising oxy-chloride cement and oxy-phosphate cement.

JOHN J. KENNEDY. 

